1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a step counting device and in particular to a step counting device incorporating vibration detecting mechanism which may be attached on shoes or clothes of a user arbitrarily and easily for counting steps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Opportune exercise is important for keeping health, especially for those people who work busily all day. Exercising too much or not enough will both do harm to the health. Therefore, how to control and measure the quantity of exercise becomes a very important task. For those who are used to walking or running as their exercise, a step counting may be used to measure how many steps they have done. The step counting device may be integrated on shoes, when a user wears the shoes walking or running, the step numbers will be counted and displayed by the step counting device.
Conventionally, the step counting device may detecting the steps by some equipment such as circuit contacting point, pressing contact switch, or infrared ray detector. Some of the conventional step counting device must be integrated to shoes so that the step numbers detecting function may be executed. Some other conventional step counting devices will be easily damaged because of the influence of use condition. For example, the step counting device with infrared ray detector or pressing contact switch will not work easily because of the moisture and steam. Besides, some conventional step counting devices need to be integrated to shoes and connected to some extra electric wires or detecting mechanism, otherwise the step numbers detecting function can not work. It is really a trouble to arrange the extra equipment in the shoes.
It is thus desirable to have a step counting device having simple structure and may be used easily and durably for overcoming the problem discussed above.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a step counting device incorporating a ceramic vibration detecting mechanism for counting steps.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a step counting device having compact structure without electric wires or detecting mechanism extra connected. When integrating the step counting device to the shoes, any space or passageway for the electric wires inside the shoes will not be needed. Without electric wires extra connected, the step counting device will not be easily damaged because of the influence of the use condition.
One more object of the present invention is to provide a step counting device that may be easily used. The step counting device may be easily attached or arranged on shoes for counting steps when a user is walking or running. Alternatively, the step counting device may be also attached on clothes or body for counting steps.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a step counting device comprises a top casing, a bottom casing, a display, and two operating buttons. A circuit board is arranged between the top casing and the bottom casing. A control circuit and a battery for supplying power are arranged on the circuit board. An open area is formed on the edge and a ceramic vibration detecting mechanism is arranged on the circuit board. One end of the ceramic vibration detecting mechanism is a fixed point located on a fixed position and the other end is a cantilever point extended to the open area of the circuit board and a heavy mass is attached to the cantilever point. While the step counting device is vibrated, the vibration will be received by the ceramic vibration detecting mechanism and a tiny voltage change will be produced to become an input signal and be inputted to the control circuit on the circuit board. Through counting, processing and exchanging the input signal by the control circuit, a step counting output signal will be outputted and a step number will be displayed on the display.